Former Ipswich Town striker David McGoldrick has joined newly-promoted League Two side Notts County, the club where he started his career.
McGoldrick plundered 25 goals for the Rams last season including three hat-tricks, but has decided to follow his heart to the Magpies, rather than sign a new deal at Pride Park.
The 35-year-old started his impressive career at Meadow Lane, and said the chance to return, in the wake of their promotion back to the EFL, was too much of a pull to ignore.
He said: “It has been a difficult decision for me to leave Derby County, but it has been a huge ambition of mine to play for Notts County again before the end of my career.
“I’ve been honest and open with both Paul Warne and the club about it in recent weeks and they’ve been supportive and understanding.
“If it wasn’t for the fact that I had the chance to return to Notts, it would have been a no-brainer to stay at Derby – regardless of interest from any other club.
“I really enjoyed working under the gaffer and his staff, playing alongside the lads and, of course, performing in front of the brilliant fans at Pride Park. I want to thank everyone for making me feel so welcome in the last year.
“I had a wonderful season with Derby and to score 25 goals and three hat-tricks made it such an enjoyable time, the best in terms of goals for me personally in a season, and actually made the decision such a difficult one.
“I’ve had many conversations with the gaffer over the last few weeks and he really did do everything he could to keep me at Derby but, in the end, I have decided to go with my heart and return to Notts.”
McGoldrick’s capture on a two-year deal is a huge coup for the Magpies, who were promoted back to the EFL after winning their National League play-off final against Paul Cook’s Chesterfield on penalties.
In a statement, the club said: “We’re over the moon to welcome someone of David’s immense quality and experience.
“He joins us on the back of his best-ever goalscoring season, but anyone who’s followed his career knows his talents extend far beyond his ability in front of goal.
“David’s an incredibly intelligent and intricate footballer who also boasts tremendous physicality, so we believe he can be hugely effective in a number of attacking roles.
“He’s been a leader and top professional at several big clubs, including recently in the Premier League with Sheffield United, and we believe his know-how and willingness to impart knowledge on to younger players will be invaluable.
“As you would suspect, David hasn’t made this decision for financial reasons. His love and respect for the club have brought him home and he’s going to be a talismanic figure as we commence this exciting new chapter.”
